


Everything to win

by Something_Poetic



Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Anastasia AU, Canonical Child Abuse, F/M, M/M, Minor Henry Cheng/Richard Gansey III/Blue Sargent, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-24
Updated: 2018-10-31
Packaged: 2019-08-06 17:12:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16391825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Something_Poetic/pseuds/Something_Poetic
Summary: Because every fandom needs an Anastasia AU.Blue grinned, “Gentlemen,” she said and spread her arms, her large scarf made it almost look like she had wings. Adam had always admired her spirit, her strong will to be free and how it kept her driven. “We will be the ones bringing his royal highness, prince Roland home!”Adam groaned softly, he covered his face with both hands.





	1. A Rumour in St. Petersburg

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea where I'm headed. This story will only be loosely based on the (amazing) Anastasia movie. Y'all can thank me later.

Adam Parrish had just finished his job at the factory. He buried his nose in the thick wool of his scarf and hid his hands in the pockets of his jacket. There was a hole in one of them. He balled his hands into fists and tucked his thumb inside, another little trick to keep himself warm. His breath came out in small clouds. The snow scrunched beneath his feet while he walked through the crowded streets of Henrietta.

The sun had come up two hours ago. In a few hours, he'd have to head to his next job at the garage near the outskirts of Henrietta. He worked three jobs, but none of them were enough to pay for food and the small apartment he and his parents rented. The apartment complex was filled with twenty other families. It was old, the kind of building that looked like it'd collapse any moment. Lots of buildings looked like that.

"You hold a revolution, and here's the price you pay." Blue once said.

A man in uniform walked past Adam. Adam quickly lowered his gaze. Blue would have spat on the ground. She was getting more reckless each passing day. Adam feared for her safety. He was headed to her place now. He didn't feel like spending his break between his two jobs at home. Sure, it'd be nice to catch up on some sleep, but chances were he wouldn't be getting that at his parent's place. Secretly, he hoped Blue would offer him her bed. It had happened before, though he could count the few times it happened on one hand.

To get to Blue's place, a small house near the old palace, he had to go through the market. It was a shortcut he often didn't even bother to take. He'd rather take the long walk if that meant he could avoid the crowd. Sounds and smells came from everywhere.

He walked past two women, both their noses buried in an old book. "Haven't you heard? They say he might have survived after all."

He slowed down long enough to catch a picture of the royal family in the book they were holding. One of the women caught him staring, she shut the book and pulled her friend away. Adam lowered his gaze back to the ground and continued his walk.

Then again, "Count Cheng's pajamas, comrade, buy the pair." A merchandiser said to the man who'd stopped.

He walked past the market stall. The best thing to do when hearing conversations like that was to ignore them. Just thinking about the royal family could get you killed. Your face would be used as an example. The people from Henrietta would be called forward for a public execution, they'd all have to watch. They'd nod along to the public executioner's accusing words and shout when he demanded them to. But secretly, they all thought the same thing.

When they'd demanded the king to give up on his crown and let the folk decide, they hadn't wanted this. Neighbor against neighbor. Conversations in hushed voices, heads put together while someone anxiously kept looking over their shoulders.

Adam stopped.

He sighed and walked back to the market stall. Without slowing down, he grabbed the buyer's arm and hauled him away from what was mostly likely, one of the biggest scams. The blond-haired man stumbled for a bit, then fell in step with Adam. The man from the market stall shouted something after them. Out of the corner of his eyes, Adam caught two men in uniform. Fuck, they're everywhere. He hoped they hadn't seen the almost transaction.

"I knew Count Cheng!" Noah Czerny exclaimed.

Adam hissed at him to keep quiet, he cast a quick look around. Aside from the usual paranoid glances back, no one looked like an undercover spy. No one looked like they'd sell their words to anyone who'd cared.

"You're insane!" Adam said through gritted teeth. Now they had to walk around in a bag circle in order to avoid both the market stall and more men in uniform. Adam's hand, still wrapped around Noah's arm felt ice cold. He finally let go, trusting his friend to be smart enough to follow instead of going back. He cupped his hands in front of his mouth and blew against his cold fingers. He did this three times before putting them back in the pockets of his worn-out jacket.

"You headed to Blue's?" Noah asked.

Adam nodded.

Noah stopped. Adam rolled his eyes, he let out an annoyed sound and stopped as well to glare at his friend. Noah was the last of the Czernys who still lived in Henrietta. Everyone else had left one year ago. They had meant to go as a group, but due circumstances that Noah refused to talk about, he'd lost them. Now he was stuck here, like everybody else. You could see he once came from a rich and powerful family by the way he dressed. While his clothes no longer looked brand new, they were still made of the finest quality. Noah never had to worry about being cold. While he was as poor as everyone else in Henrietta, he still had a home to return to and closets filled with warm clothes. He had a bed and thick blankets he could bury himself under, soft pillows to rest his head on. If he found wood, he could use one of the many fireplaces inside his mansion to build a fire. He shared the place with many other families. He offered them a roof over their heads, they could use whatever they wanted, as long as they didn't steal and never entered his quarters. So far, things worked out. Adam still worried.

Noah reached his hand out towards Adam's face, his brow furrowed while he used his grip on Adam's jaw to turn his face. With his face turned towards the left, Noah had full view over the bruise forming on Adam's cheekbone. His friends hadn't seen him for five days, by now, the bruise looked much better then at the beginning. Still, Noah looked displeased.

Instead of demanding Adam to leave, he asked, "Does it hurt?"

"It's better now." Adam said.

Noah nodded, he gently caressed the left side of Adam's face. For a moment, he allowed it. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, he let the cold air fill his lungs. Adam rarely got touched like this. He tried to survive as long as possible with whatever little moments like this his friends offered.

Noah and Blue probably knew. It was why they made up so many excuses to touch him. Once those thoughts entered his mind, Adam sighed. His eyes fluttered open. He took a step back.

Noah offered him a soft smile. They both continued their walk to 300 Fox Way. The snow crunched underneath their feet.

Blue sat outside her house, bundled up in at least ten layers of mismatching, colorful clothes. Her messy hair hidden under a warm hat and half of her face was hidden behind her bright blue scarf. She greeted them with a smile so wide, it turned her eyes into half-moons.

"Gentlemen!" she greeted them.

"M'lady." Noah said, he smiled at her.

She nodded and walked them back towards where they came from. Adam ignored the feeling of disappointment. He had really hoped he could crash on Blue's sofa for a short moment.

"They've closed another border," Blue said, her voice soft enough so only they could hear. Her eyes darted around.

"We should have gotten out of Henrietta while we still could." Noah muttered under his breath.

Adam said nothing, he kept his head low while they walked around the market. She led them deeper into the old nooks of the city, towards where the rich neighborhoods used to be. Adam wondered if she was taking them to Noah's house.

When they missed their turn, Adam frowned. Still he said nothing, he kept an eye out while his friends talked in hushed voices. He knew Blue did the same thing. Trust no one was the number one rule to survive.

Blue brought them to the edges of the royal gardens. Adam had noticed it too late. His eyes widened, he frantically looked around.

"What are we doing here?" he asked.

Blue smirked, she continued walking.

Adam's mind went blissfully blank for one second. For a moment, all he felt was lightheaded while watching his friend, Blue Sargent walk through forbidden territory. Years of no one looking over the royal gardens had made it an unruly land of plants and trees. From a distance, Blue could no longer be seen through the thick leaves. No matter the weather, the small park surrounding the palace had always been green.

Noah shrugged and went after her.

Which left Adam alone near the edge. He muttered something under his breath and quickly went after them.

When they got near the castle, Blue stopped, "Adam, where is the servant's entrance?" she asked.

Adam glared at her, "Are you insane?" he hissed.

She raised one eyebrow and gave him an unimpressed look. Adam couldn't believe this was happening. His heart was beating ten times faster than usual. His breath came out in small gasps, Noah on the other hand, looked unbothered by it all. He looked almost serene next to Blue. The two of them didn't seem bothered at all by the fact that this could put them in jail, or worse, killed.

"We're only gonna get caught if you keep wasting our time." Blue said, she crossed her arms.

Adam wanted to argue. If they were careful enough, they could sneak back out and pretend none of this had happened. No one would know. Adam would go to his next job. Noah would do whatever it was that he did to get by. Blue would help her family. His mind went a hundred miles a minute.

Then he sighed. Once Blue had set her mind on something, she wouldn't back out. He began to walk and couldn't stop checking if they were being followed. He could hear their footsteps behind him. He then realized no one had set foot in this place for years, the snow would surely give them away. He halted and looked back, behind them, the snow looked freshly fallen. Not a single footstep to be seen.

Adam had forgotten what it was like to be surrounded by magic. As soon as he thought it, the leaves rustled. It almost felt like the trees were flattered that he'd noticed. He pushed back the memories that resurfaced and continued his walk. Neither Blue nor Noah spoke.

He got them in through the servant's entrance that led straight towards the kitchens. Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust. He coughed loudly.

Blue whistled, she walked around the place. Minus the dust and obvious signs of years and years of neglect, the place still looked exactly the same way as Adam remembered it. He could almost imagine himself walking through the servant's quarters as a kid. Blue walked toward the hallways. Her eyes were wide and filled with wonder. She turned around and tried to take it all in. She had never been inside the palace, she had only ever seen it from afar, out of her bedroom window, you had a beautiful view over the property.

Noah had never been inside the servants' quarters, he'd only ever seen the palace from the rooms meant for guests. Adam hadn't known him as the son of an earl, nor had Noah known him as the son of a servant. They'd met for the first time four years after the revolution.

Adam had run through these corridors, chasing his friends while playing tag. He knew which spots Richard Campbell Gansey III preferred. He wondered if he'd open the linen closet, if he'd find his royal highness, prince Roland hiding in there. His hands cupped over his mouth while he tried to stifle his laughter.

You could see the palace had been abandoned in a hurry. He stepped over the shards of a broken glass.

They'd reached the huge entrance. Blue twirled around.

Noah met Adam's gaze.

They both felt overwhelmed with the same intense feeling of nostalgia. They'd both seen this place in its beautiful years. Noah had seen it from a different side than Adam. While Noah could walk around freely, Adam had seen it all hidden away from view.

Adam wondered if he were to close his eyes, would he see place as it once was? Would he remember the smell of champagne? The sound of laughter. The way jewels glittered in the light that came from the chandelier. Would he remember the beautiful gowns the women used to wear? How impressive the men looked in their tuxedos?

But while he tried to remember, his brain also made him remember the looks of disgust on their faces once they caught sight of him. He remembered his mother's warm smile when he'd done all of his chores, the way his father had ruffled his hair. They'd been happy then. His father sometimes got mad, he always had a bad temper, but back then, he hadn't felt the need to take it out psychically on his son.

It was hard to remember that his life hadn't always been like this. When he lay curled up under his moldy roof. When all he could focus on was the throbbing pain from where his father had hit him. But here, inside of what had once been the most beautiful place in Adam's small world, it all came back.

He almost wanted to run back upstairs and hide in prince Roland's personal quarters. Would the piano still be there? If he played, would Roland still join him?

Instead, he shook his head. Noah and Blue had been waiting, they were staring at him. But had said nothing. They allowed him this short moment of feeling at home again.

"Why are we here, Blue?" Adam asked. He hated how his voice sounded. How harsh his accent sounded and how it sounded just like his father's. He hated how hoarse it sounded, he hated the tiny crack in it, giving away how much his eyes burned.

Not only the rich had lost everything during the revolution. Everyone had. Adam felt the loss now more than ever. He hadn't realized how homesick he'd been this entire time until he returned.

"Because I have a plan that'll take us out of Henrietta." Blue said.

Noah gaped at her.

Adam blinked.

Blue grinned, "Gentlemen," she said and spread her arms, her large scarf made it almost look like she had wings. Adam had always admired her spirit, her strong will to be free and how it kept her driven. "We will be the ones bringing his royal highness, prince Roland home!"

Adam groaned softly, he covered his face with both hands.

Noah said nothing.

"Y'all know prince Declan and Mathew survived. They got out, they made it all the way to Europe!" Blue said, she sounded so excited. Adam hated that he would soon ruin her good mood.

"They're giving a huge reward to anyone who finds their beloved brother and brings him back home."

"Not you too, Blue." Adam said. He let his arms hang next to his body.

Blue pointed at him, "You've heard the rumors!" she said. Both Noah and Adam said nothing while watching her run towards the stairs, she stopped until she was taller than them. Then she turned to face them again. "Prince Ronald is our one-way ticket out of this place!" she explained, "Can you imagine? We'd go down in history."

"What about your family?" Noah asked, worried.

"Where are we getting a prince?" Adam demanded.

Blue smiled, "I'm talking about an insane huge amount of money, even if we'd split it up, I'd still have enough to pay for safe passage for my family to cross the borders. We could all live in Europe." Again, she pointed at Adam, "You could go to any college. Study hard and become whatever you want." She then pointed her finger at Noah, "You could find your family, inherit whatever there's left and be an earl."

She finally caught on that Adam nor Noah looked convinced, she groaned in frustration, "C'mon guys, who else could pull it off but us?" she asked. "We'll find a guy to play the part and teach him what to say, dress him up and take him to Dublin."

When Adam glanced at Noah, looking for some sign of support, he saw Noah's doubt began to waver.

"I know a guy who can get us passports." Noah offered.

Blue clapped her hands in excitement. "Both you and Adam used to know the prince, we'll hold auditions here-"

"Are you insane?" Adam snapped.

"-and you two can teach them how to act and behave!"

"No!"

Blue sighed, "Do you believe in fairytales, Adam?"

He clenched his jaw, "Once upon a time I did," he replied bitterly.

"Well," she said and flailed her arms around, "We're going to create a fairytale the whole world is going to believe!"

"Fairytales aren't real, Blue. This thing you're asking us to do is dangerous. I don't want to die."

Blue scowled. "I know it's risky, but what isn't in this godforsaken country?" she crossed her arms. "But we can do it. We just need our prince, papers and tickets. " she said this while nodding at Noah,

"And nerves of steel." Noah added.

"Obviously." She nodded.

Noah looked at Adam, "Yeah it's risky, a lot more than usual even. But we might be able to pull it off."

Adam shook his head.

"I thought, you most of all, would want to get out, Adam." Blue said. Her eyes were staring at him, but she didn't meet his gaze. Instead she stared at the bruise on Adam's face. At his limp that he'd been trying to hide. Adam glared at her. "You can go to a school. You'd be rich. You could buy your own place with a piano," she said. She'd heard him play at the pub Blue worked at. It had an old piano hidden in the corner of the room. Some notes always sounded slightly off key.

Adam had learned to play the piano while still living at the palace. Prince Ronald had taught him many songs, he'd played them all except for the lullaby the queen had taught him. She'd always sing it for her sons before they went to bed.

Adam looked away. His hands were balled into fists, he hid them in the pocket of his jacket. Suddenly, he felt overwhelmed by this urge to leave. The air was filled with dust. Everywhere he looked, he could hear sounds of distress. The sound of people barging into the castle and demanding the king's head. He remembered losing sight of his parents.

He remembered finding the three princes, huddled together, hiding in the linen closet in the servant's quarters. Adam shut his eyes, he breathed in deep through his nose.

He'd only been eight years old when he'd accepted that he might not get out of here alive. But at least his friends would.

A hidden passage.

A man in uniform walking towards Adam when the princes had escaped.

"Adam." Blue's voice was soft.

Adam Parrish didn't want to die. He shook his head, "I'll help you find a prince. But I'm not coming with you." He said. It was his farewell.

Blue stared at him for a long time. Her shoulders slumped, but she nodded. "Alright."


	2. Grandma, It's me, Anastasia (Ronald)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Well?”  
> Adam turned his head to look back at the guy who’d been auditioning. His eyes began to water from suppressing a sneeze. “What’s your plan? Seduce the royal Lynch brothers?” Adam snapped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's this??? another awful chapter??? I'm messing up this AU you say???? Whattttt??? I am shook. Don't expect this for the rest of the story. It's just that I wrote three chapters and have no impulse control and want people to boost my ego with what little I have.  
> Did I say I'm a terrible (writer) person yet??? It's important to me that you know. <3 Enjoy! Leave a comment. They make me cry like an ugly baby.  
> Cheers!

Adam got home later than usual after work. His boss had asked him to stay a bit longer after two men in uniform dropped their vehicle. They'd kept around while Adam worked on it. By the end of his shift, Adam had felt more exhausted than ever. His boss had given him the extra money right away, a couple of crumpled up bills, quickly tucked away so that no one would see.

"You're a good lad, Adam." His boss had said. He'd placed his hand on Adam's shoulder and squeezed it gently. Then he walked away.

Adam wondered if he could afford a new winter coat with the amount of money he'd set aside. Then he reminded himself of his dream to one day move out of his parents' apartment and pushed the thought away. He'd just wear a few extra layers.

Adam regretted the extra hours when he stood in front of his apartment door. A couple of weeks ago, Robert Parrish had taken Adam's house key. He'd gotten tired of his son sneaking in like a thief in the middle night, not even bothering to say goodnight to his parents.

He stood in front of his front door and felt his heart beat rapidly in his chest. He'd felt tired until he walked up those stairs. Outside it was cold, inside it would be cold as well. His bed was inside, perhaps even some food if his parents were in a good mood.

Adam felt a pair of eyes on him. When he looked down the stairs, he saw a family of three, huddled together. Their child curled up on his mother's lap, trembling softly. Adam took a deep breath and knocked on his door.

The sound of footsteps.

Someone fiddling with the lock.

Then his mother's thin frame, her shoulders sagged in relief when she saw who it was. She stepped aside to let him in then quickly locked the door behind him. Robert Parrish had dozed off on their moldy couch. His mother had put a blanket over him.

"You're late, boy." His mother said.

"Two guards came in, their pickup needed to be fixed." Adam said. He shrugged off his coat, he walked around his father's sleeping form so that he could reach his mattress, pushed in a corner. He threw his coat on top of the blankets.

"There's no food left." His mother said from behind him.

Adam nodded.  
"You made him angry." She said. "Jeff from downstairs saw you talk to the witch's daughter," then after a short pause, she added, "Again." Adam's shoulders tensed up, he turned around to face her. His mother's face was a perfect sculpture of indifference. She couldn't care less about her husband's wrath. In her mind, Adam deserved it.

He nodded, "G'night, ma." He said and turned his back towards her again. He slowly removed his boots.

His mother didn't waste any more breath on him. She went into her bedroom. Adam hoped his dad wouldn't wake up during the night. His teeth where chattering by the time he crawled under his sheets. He shut his eyes tightly and waited for sleep to come.

X

Adam felt a headache coming up. Blue groaned in frustration next to him.

"Why are they all so bad?" she asked once the actor had gotten off stage. The next one got on stage, Adam didn't expect much of it. Some of the acts had been hilarious, both Noah and Blue had to stifle their laughter while watching a stranger trying to convince them they were the long-lost prince Roland. Adam mostly kept quiet, he already thought it was a miracle he could keep both his eyes open.

His father had woken him up two days ago with a bucket of ice-cold water. He hadn't stopped trembling since. No matter how many layers he put on, he still felt the cold creep up. He sniffled, his hands hidden in his armpits to keep himself warm.

"You'd think it'd be easy, finding a pale as fuck guy with black curly hair and blue eyes. Henrietta is filled with guys like that!" Blue said, she glanced at Adam and narrowed her eyes.

Adam glared back at her.

"What if we dyed your hair black?" she offered.

"Piss off."

Her eyebrows shot up to her hairline. He was in a sour mood and taking it out on her. He closed his eyes, inhaled deeply and dropped his head on the wooden table they were using. Adam felt terrible. He was getting sick, or he was sick. Who could tell these days? All he knew was that it could get him in serious trouble if things got worse.

"There's tea at my place." Blue said.

"I can't go to your place."

"Why not? You've been there before."

"Drop it."

"Is it your old man?"

Adam opened his eyes, for a moment there were two Blues in front of him. "I said, drop it."

"Come with us." she said.

Noah placed a hand on her shoulder. "Blue."

She glared at Noah and slapped his hand away. Furiously, she got out of her chair and stormed off. Interrupting the guy who'd been auditioning midsentence. Noah send Adam one of his I'm-very-disappointed-in-you looks. Adam the mature one, decided to ignore this by turning his head away. Instead glaring outside one of the many large windows. Noah sighed, he went after Blue.

Adam sniffled.

"Well?"

Adam turned his head to look back at the guy who'd been auditioning. His eyes began to water from suppressing a sneeze. "What's your plan? Seduce the royal Lynch brothers?" Adam snapped. The guy in front of him had dropped his coat as soon as he'd introduced himself. There had been way too much eye contact involved. "No." Adam said.

The guy send him a furious look. One that didn't even come close to Blue's. He picked up his coat and stormed off. Much more dramatic than Blue. Adam sighed, he leaned forward in his chair and rubbed his temples. His headache only got worse. It was cold inside, it was cold outside. He was tired.

He was lucky that this guy was the last for today. He sighed, long and deep and got up. He had to leave soon. His shift at Boyd's started in an hour. Adam stood up and went to look for Noah and Blue. It was getting late anyway.

He heard something behind him. Adam frowned and turned his head towards where the sound came from. He'd been sure he saw Blue storm off into the servants' quarters. Noah had followed, which could only mean, one of the guys who'd been auditioning had started to wander around the property. Adam rolled his eyes.

"For crying out loud." He muttered, following the noise.

He'd wandered into the one of the many hallways. He remembered them, eyes raking over the faded red walls. Most paintings had been removed, leaving faded outlines on the walls. Others were ripped apart and remained. He walked past generations of torn up Lynches. They'd reigned for more than 300 years. Adam's hand went over one of the most recent paintings. Only Twenty years old. One of Niall Lynch. It had been painted just before the birth of the crown prince, Declan Lynch. The portrait was missing its face. When Adam looked down at his hands, there was dust on them.

How odd, this felt. Staring at the painting in such a terrible state when he could still remember how it looked in perfect condition. His mother had been a maid here, he'd often walked around these hallways with her. Watching her clean. Mostly, he'd spend a lot of time with the other children living at the palace. Her majesty, Aurora, had been delighted when Adam had been born. He'd been the same age as her second son, Roland Lynch, only a few months older. They'd grown up together.

He walked further into the hallways.

Halting in front of a room, the door was gone. Adam walked inside, his gaze falling on the piano, covered in dust and cobwebs. He walked towards it-

A hand grasped his wrist. Startled, Adam turned around ready to push off the person who'd walked up to him. Only to let out a sigh of relief when he recognized Blue.

"Jesus, Blue." He hissed.

"There's someone else inside." She whispered.

"Yeah I know, one of those guys."

She shook her head, "I saw him." she said, she beckoned him to follow.

"I have to go," Adam hissed.

"It'll only take a minute."

Adam wanted to protest, then sighed and nodded. He went after her. She led him towards the ball room. They didn't go inside, Noah was waiting for them in front of one of the doors, the other one was left open, so they could look inside. Adam could see footmarks in the dust. He peaked inside, eyes falling on a tall male wandering around the ballroom. A bird sat on top of his shoulder.

"Is that a crow?" Blue hissed.

"Raven." Noah corrected, he exchanged a look with Adam. Raven's had been the royal symbol. Adam frowned and turned his gaze back to the stranger. The stranger went up the stairs, years ago, that's where the thrones had stood. They'd been burned in the courtyard. All that was left behind was the memory of them.

The stranger stopped in front of the large painting of all of the Lynches together. Painted, two years before the people turned their backs on the royal family.

"Kerah!" the raven cawed.

Blue, Adam and Noah immediately jumped out of sight.

"My heart!" Noah hissed and covered his right chest.

Blue opened her mouth, ready to point it out. Then shook her head and bend down so that she could see through the keyhole. "The bird is gone." She whispered.

Adam wanted to respond that he had perfect view of said Raven. It had flown off to sit into one of the nooks of the ceiling.

He found himself fighting back a sneeze.

"Oh no." Noah said.

Adam sneezed.

The sound echoed through the empty hallways.

Blue facepalmed.

Noah sighed.

Adam winced.

Blue went inside the ballroom.

Both Noah and Adam were too slow to stop her.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded. Noah groaned and went after her. Adam checked his old and battered pocket watch, saw he still had forty minutes. It was a fifteen-minute walk away from the castle,without patrols circling around the premises. If Adam was seen near the castle, he'd be stopped and interrogated. There were hundreds of other people, looking for a job. Adam was easily replaceable.

Five more minutes.

"Are you Blue Sargent?" the guy asked.

Adam walked into the throne room. Blue had halted in front of the stairs; the stranger was walking towards her. His pace slow and easy. Confident. Noah stood just behind Blue.

"That depends who's asking." Blue said, hands on her hips.

The guy stopped in front of her, still a couple of feet in between them. He was much taller than her. His eyes were directed towards Adam, his gaze intense while he watched Adam get closer. Adam glared back.

"I'm Ronan." He said. "I need to get to Dublin, someone told me you could help me with that."

Blue said nothing, she turned her head to glance at Noah and Adam before turning her head back towards Ronan. "Your name is Ronan?"

Ronan narrowed his eyes, "Are you deaf?"

Adam snorted, when Blue turned around to glare at him, he quickly covered it up with a cough. Not that he was very convincing. He knew why Blue double checked. Ronan hit a bit too close to the name Roland. Which was perfect, Adam thought, while staring at Ronan. He had pale skin, most of it hidden under thick layers of woolen clothes. He wore a large blue scarf around his neck, the ends trailing after him on the ground. The blue made his eyes stand out even more. Ronan wore a beanie, so he couldn't see what hair color he had.

Blue huffed, "Well too bad, Ronan. I have a ticket to Dublin. But it's not meant for you." She said.

Ronan clenched his jaw. Eyes murderous. Adam could hear Noah gulp loudly from where he stood. "What she means-" Noah started, "Is that it's meant for him." he said and pointed at the paining behind them. Ronan turned so that he could look at it. "Prince Roland." Noah said.

"He's dead." Ronan said.

"That's what you think." Blue shot back. "But we have reasons to believe that he's still alive."

"Why do you want to go to Dublin?" Noah asked.

Ronan shrugged, "I don't know."

"You don't know." Blue repeated.

Adam narrowed his gaze but said nothing. This could be interesting.

Ronan removed his beanie, revealing a buzzcut underneath. Which was disappointing, but even then, Adam could see his hair was dark. He had to get closer to see if it was black or brown. "All I know is that I have this stupid necklace," he said, hands going towards his neck. He fumbled with his scarf for a bit before removing the piece of jewelry he'd been wearing. He held it out to show to them. "It was made in Dublin." Blue held out her hand, so Ronan dropped it. She brought it closer to her face. Noah leaned over her shoulder to give it a better look as well.

"It's all I have. I don't remember anything from before the revolution."

"You don't remember anything?" Blue asked.

Ronan glared at her, "Yes. I woke up in a hospital outside Henrietta without any memories. That necklace is the only thing I have from my past."

Blue hummed, she turned, facing Adam who'd been keeping his distance. She held out the necklace towards him. He hesitated, glanced at Ronan, before taking the piece of jewelry. His eyes widened once he realized it was real gold. It had a faded symbol on the front and when he turned it around, he saw Made in Dublin engraved. The piece of jewelry looked familiar, but he couldn't place it. Perhaps another noble household from Dublin? He was certain he'd never seen prince Roland wear it. The prince hated jewelry.

He handed it back to Blue. "It's perfect." She mouthed at him, not making a sound. He smirked and gave her a curt nod. It was true. Ronan's story was too perfect. They could easily manipulate the story. Change it into something they could work with.

Blue grinned back at him.

"You know you kind of look like him." she said, handing the necklace back.

Ronan immediately put it back on, it disappeared underneath his scarf. "Like who?"

"Prince Roland." Noah said.

Ronan snorted.

"It's true, you've got king Niall's eyes." Blue said.

"Queen Aurora's cheekbones!" Noah said, he grabbed Ronan's hand and pulled him with him. Back up the stairs towards the painting. Ronan didn't look like he liked being pulled around. Still he let it happen, lots of people found it hard to say no to Noah.

Adam trailed after them, keeping enough distance.

"What does your hair look like?" Blue asked.

"Black."

"Like the Lynches!" she said.

Ronan stopped, he pulled his hand back and buried them deep in the pockets of his coat. The sleeves were too short for his long limbs. Adam stopped on the last stair. "You two mean to tell me I look like prince Roland?" he said, not sounding very impressed.

"Why not?" Blue demanded, she pointed at the huge painting on the wall. At prince Roland when he was six years old. "Look at it, the resemblance is striking."

Ronan said nothing. He had his back turned towards Adam, so he couldn't see what kind of expression he wore on his face.

"You're insane." Ronan said.

Adam sneezed. Causing Ronan to look at him, eyes narrowed. "Who're you anyway?"

Adam opened his mouth, ready to snap back, Blue immediately got in-between. "It doesn't matter who he is." She said. Which was for the best, still it stung.

But if they got caught, it was best that Ronan had as little information as possible about them.

"Look, all I'm saying is that you look like him." Blue said, she shrugged, "Who knows, it might be fate that brought you here." Adam had to bite back a snort, "But if you're not prince Roland … well," she shrugged, "I'm afraid we can't help you." She turned around and went back downstairs. Grabbing Adam's arm when passing him, he almost stumbled off the stairs.

Noah muttered something and quickly went after them.

The raven cawed above them.

"What are you doing?" Noah hissed once they were out of earshot, "This guy's perfect!"

"Shut-up. I know what I'm doing." Blue said, "But-" and she slowed her pace, "Walk a bit slower."

Adam glanced at Noah, both confused.

Then, "Wait!"

All three of them turned around immediately.

Ronan was walking towards them, "What if I am prince Roland?" he asked, making some lose gesture with his hands. "But I just don't remember." He said.

Blue crossed her arms, "Uhuh, go on." She inquired. Appearing very nonchalant.

"Well," Ronan said, "Take me to Dublin and we'll ask them, or whatever, and if they say no, then it'll all be an honest mistake and we'll laugh about it in some pub."

"Sounds reasonable." Blue said.

"But if you are prince Roland, you'll finally be reunited with your family." Noah said.

Ronan once again, stopped in front of them. Hands still buried deep in the pockets of his jacket. "Sure." He said and shrugged. "How about it?"

Blue held out her hand, "Deal."

Ronan smirked, he took her hand and shook it. He frowned and quickly pulled his hand back, Adam rolled his eyes. Blue had a pretty strong handgrip. While Ronan looked much stronger than her, he certainly hadn't expected her to squeeze down so hard. Which must have taken him by surprise.

Adam smiled.

"Adam!" Noah said, startling everyone else. "Your work."

Adam's eyes widened, he grabbed his watch and saw he only had twenty minutes left. "Shit!" he didn't even bother to say goodbye. He quickly turned on his heels and left, running through the palace's hallways to the servant's entrance.

Shit, shit, shit.

X

Adam was in trouble. In big trouble. He was trembling from head to toe, his throat hurt, he kept coughing. He was most definitely, sick. He'd been desperate enough to stop by the market and look at their stalls, hoping to spot something for a sore throat. Knowing how much it would cost him. He hadn't bought anything.

He sniffled and thought of going to Blue's place. Certainly, they had something in house that could help. Their house was filled with all sorts of herbs. He couldn't. He had to be extra careful. If his father saw him hanging around with her again, or anyone else who knew his dad, he'd be in trouble again. Adam liked to remain on his father's good side, as hard as it was.

So, instead of looking for medicine, He found himself climbing up the staircase of the apartment complex. He almost tripped over the family sleeping at the end of their staircase. The kid woke up and began to cry, which also woke up the mother. Adam muttered an apology under his breath. The woman glared at him and held her child closer to her body. As if Adam was going to take it away from her.

He shook his head and continued going upstairs. He knocked on the door, it wasn't that late. They were still up, he could see light from underneath the door.

His father opened the door.

Which was never a good sign.

X

"Could you stop that!" Blue snapped.

Noah sniggered.

They'd been sitting in Blue's kitchen. Ronan apparently, couldn't sit still for five minutes. So, he'd begun to wander around, picking up little trinkets to look at them. Which would be fine, if Blue didn't have a terrible temper. Ronan only made it worse by not putting the objects he found back in their place.

Blue's hair was loose, in only the span of fifteen minutes, had it become worse than a bird's nest. She kept going through her hair with her hands whenever Ronan did something that bothered her. Ronan didn't seem to be bothered by her annoyance at all, in fact, he appeared to be enjoying it. Humming something under his breath while he moved around.

"Is that a lullaby?" Noah asked.

Ronan stared at him, he'd just found the Fox Way's tea and had been sniffing it with a disgusted look on his face.

"What is?" Ronan asked.

"You were humming." Noah explained, patiently, "It sounded like a lullaby."

Ronan cocked his head to the left. He frowned, as if he hadn't realized he'd been humming. Then he shrugged and threw the teabag on Blue's kitchen counter. Which made her fume. "I grew up in an orphanage, I know like ten different lullabies. So probably." He said and plopped down on the empty seat in front of Blue. He raised his chin at her, a silent dare for her to speak her mind.

She opened her mouth, ready to lecture his ear off. But Ronan turned his head, as if he'd heard something. Then, "Adam." He said, surprising both Blue and Noah, "He isn't going with us, to Dublin?"

Blue stared at him. Clearly, unsure of how to respond to this. She must have remembered Noah calling Adam by his name. Ronan had great memory.

"Listen… Ronan." Noah said, voice careful while he glanced at Blue. Asking without words, for permission to go on. She nodded once. "Getting out of Henrietta might not be easy." Noah continued, not at all spooked by Ronan's intense glare. "I'll have our tickets ready by the day after tomorrow. But the rules keep changing, and who knows, perhaps in three days they'll say no one's allowed to leave the borders anymore."

Ronan said nothing.

Noah grimaced, "Adam's main goal in live is surviving."

"That's stupid." Ronan said and crossed his arms.

"Excuse me?" Blue blurted out.

Ronan rolled his eyes, "Surviving isn't living." He said.

Blue opened her mouth, she wanted to defend Adam. But she shared the same opinion as Ronan, it wasn't easy for her, to defend someone else believes, when she completely disagreed with them. In the end, she threw both her hands in the air, "It doesn't matter. What matters is that Adam makes his own choices."

Ronan got up again, "Whatever." He muttered and walked out of the kitchen.

"Where do you think you're going?" Blue shouted.

"Bathroom!"

"It's not late too find someone else." She hissed to Noah.

Noah smiled and gently patted her head. "There, there."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I ugly cry from nice comments. Please do ruin my expensive make-up look. This troll lives on nice comments.  
> 


	3. We'll go from there

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "How about a potion that'll make everything better?" he asked, his voice raspy and barely louder than a whisper.
> 
> "I've heard Ireland's fresh air might help." Persephone said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One terrible update coming up!!!

By now, Adam was more than certain he was sick. He felt terrible and knew he looked like it too. His boss had given him one look and send him back home. But he couldn't go back home. Not without money.

But he needed to go back home because he was exhausted. He could barely keep his eyes open. Could barely function. His throat hurt and itched. He couldn't stop coughing, but he needed to stop because coughing made his headache worse.

He walked through Henrietta's market, searching for something that could help. He didn't have much money on him, barely had anything at all. His father had found his secret stash. He'd taken all of it. The bruises that had followed throbbed. His left ear couldn't stop ringing and he feared for the worst.

Adam felt terrible

Lower than scum.

His father had beaten yet another piece out of him. He didn't know what but still felt the loss of it. The weight heavy in his chest, as if a rock had replaced his heart.

He'd been stalling in front of a market stall, staring at the objects without really taking them in. He blinked drowsily, when he took another step, away from the stall, he felt himself lose balance. He scrambled for something to hold, his hand landed flat on the market stall he'd been trying to get away from.

"Watch it!" the old lady shouted.

He muttered a quick apology and scurried off before she could call the guards. He'd caught one of them keeping an eye on him. People who acted suspicious always stood out more. They probably thought he'd gotten into a fight. But what kind of fight? Had he perhaps been sharing the wrong sorts of ideas and did someone try to beat it out of him?

Adam finally found a market stall that sold all sorts of potions and ointments. He stared down at the different labels with cursive handwriting on them. Trying to figure out which one would help get rid of his cough.

"I've got something for that black eye." A familiar voice said.

When he looked up, he wasn't startled at all to see Persephone smiling at him. He hadn't forgotten she owned a stall at the market. The women of Fox Way were known for their knowledge of herbs. He just hadn't thought about it while wandering around the market.

"How about a potion that'll make everything better?" he asked, his voice raspy and barely louder than a whisper.

"I've heard Ireland's fresh air might help." Persephone said.

Adam gulped, his throat hurt.

"It's not too late." Persephone said. She beckoned him closer with her hand. He walked around the stall and let her put some sort of ointment on his black eye, it was cold and smelled of herbs. His eyes fluttered shut. She took care of his black eye first, then moved on to the bridge of his nose, then his jaw.

"Your gifts here are wasted." Persephone said. She pressed a bottle in his hands, when Adam tried to hand her the few crumpled up bills he still had left, she shook her head. Covering his hands with her own. "Go." She whispered.

He hesitated. He wouldn't be Adam Parrish if he didn't hesitate. His mind went a hundred miles a minute, calculating his next move. What he'd do from now on.

He inhaled, then nodded and left. He headed straight towards Fox Way. Who cared anymore if someone saw him? He hoped it'd be one of the last times anyone ever saw him walking through these streets.

He stumbled again, the ringing in his ear only seemed to get louder. A hand on his shoulder stopped him from falling. When he looked up, still clutching Persephone's potion to his chest, he was startled to see a guard looking down at him.

The guard frowned, "What happened to you, son?" he asked.

Adam immediately lowered his gaze, "Nothing, sir." He said.

"Speak up, kid. I can't hear you."

Adam shut his eyes, for a moment, he inhaled, then as loud as he could, which wasn't very loud at all, "Nothing happened, sir."

The man didn't believe him, Adam could tell. He could hear his heart beating. The man nodded towards the bottle in his hands, "What's that?"

Adam didn't want to, but still handed over the bottle.

"You're sick." The man said. Staring at the label, as if it hadn't been obvious.

Adam nodded.

"Come with me kid." The man said, placing a hand on Adam's shoulder and pushing him into the opposite direction of where he'd been headed. His shoulder sagged. He knew he couldn't put up a fight, that would only make things worse. But this wasn't ideal either.

He was screwed anyway.

X

Ronan woke up feeling uneasy.

He'd brought something with him. Slowly, he tried to move his hands. When that didn't work, he began with his fingertips. Baby steps, he told himself. He inhaled deeply. He felt feeling return to the tips of his fingers. The feeling crawled up to his wrist, his elbows, shadow-… until he could sit up.

His gaze fell on the two stones resting in the palm of right hand. His hands were covered in dirt. He'd dreamt of a fire. He'd gone through a fire to save these two stones. Ronan brought the stones closer to his face.

He sighed.

They had the same color as Adam's eyes. Fuck. He thought. He told himself it was because Blue and Noah couldn't stop talking about the guy. Thinking they were subtle, with Ronan not even a few feet further away pretending to read.

Ronan told himself it wasn't because Adam had taken his breath away, the moment Ronan saw him for the first time. Fucking fuck shit fuck. Ronan's fingers hovered above the stones. He gently caressed the edges. The stones seemed to almost glow in his hands. They felt warm.

Adam had looked cold when they'd met. Sick. He'd been coughing. Even then, Ronan thought he was beautiful.

It didn't matter. He told himself, he crawled out of bed. Noah and Blue had told him Adam wouldn't be joining them. He'd done his part. He would stay in Henrietta while Ronan and the others would escape.

Part of him had wanted to convince him.

Blue had admitted she didn't even know where Adam lived.

Ronan put the stones in his bag. His teeth already chattering from the cold. He quickly freshened up by the sink. Noah couldn't afford hot water, so the water was ice cold. He was trembling from head to toe by the time he was fully dressed. The tips of his fingers numb.

He walked out of the room. Bag slung over his shoulder. Noah's mansion was big and occupied by many other families. He'd been given the room next to Noah's. He'd been informed that it was easy to get lost into the old Czerny's manor if you didn't know your way.

Ronan felt a little like getting lost. But their train was leaving at 13pm. If they missed it, they'd have to wait another week. Noah would have to request new papers, but he didn't have enough money for new papers.

This train was their only chance of getting out.

So, instead of exploring the old estate. He knocked on Noah's door.

"In a second." Noah shouted back.

Ronan didn't respond to that. He leaned his back against the wall, hands hidden behind his back. He waited. First, he started peeling off wallpaper. Then he turned his head towards the two children playing with marbles a bit farther away. They were talking in hushed tones. Their mother was up and watching them with a soft smile. Their father lay curled up next to her, his head on her lap. Most of his body hidden underneath a blanket.

Noah was a good guy, Ronan thought.

Many other nobles had fled the country after the revolution. Many who'd stayed because they couldn't run, had locked their house. Only they could leave and enter.

Sometimes, Ronan could almost remember something from his past. He'd remember the scent of smoke. A sky so dark, it made you fear you'd never see sunlight again. But he always ran into a wall. Every time he tried to reach further into his memories, that wall would come up and stop him from finding out what happened. Who he was. How he ended up in that hospital with no memory and no family.

He knew he could pull things from his dreams. He also knew that this was something meant to be hidden. No one was allowed to know. He didn't even know how he got this information.

His mind wandered back to the stones he'd dreamt up.

Adam's eyes following him inside that ballroom. Blue's voice barely comprehendible under his heavy gaze. Ronan had it bad for a guy he'd never ever see again. But whom he would still get to know through the memories of others.

He knew Adam was someone important to both Blue and Noah. They'd probably keep talking about him. Making it harder for Ronan to move on if they kept giving him information. He hoped they'd start off with all of his bad personality traits. Perhaps that way, he could still end up hating him.

"Ready to go?" Noah asked, he then bowed as a joke, "Your grace."

"I'm gonna throw you out of a window." Ronan grumbled. He pushed himself off the wall and headed towards the stairs. Not checking to see if Noah was following,

"You're so mean." Noah said from behind him. Close enough to tell Ronan that he was following and keeping up with his fast pace.

"You know you're gonna have to get used to that, right?" Noah said.

"We don't know that for certain." Ronan said, going down the stairs. He was glad that people had enough room inside this place to sleep. Ronan had lived in many buildings where people just slept on the stairs. He had been one of those people, he told himself. Not a week ago, he'd woken up with a sore back because of it. He was going to miss this bed.

"Oh c'mon, think about it." Noah said, already slightly out of breath. They'd reached the first floor. "You have no memories of your childhood, you look just like the other Lynches, hell even your name sounds a lot alike. That's a hell of a lot coincidence, don't you think?" Noah said.

"You're talking like a mad man, Czerny."

"C'mon, admit it. You want to be the prince."

Ronan didn't respond. He didn't lie. Truth was, he couldn't imagine himself as a prince. But if being a prince meant he also had a family, he was more than willing to believe it. For years, he'd lived on his own. Every adult he'd met hurt and betrayed him. Used him for his youth and then tossed him aside as soon as the work was done.

It's not like Ronan could hold on to a job for very long anyway. He had no patience for it. Gave up too soon. Also, he found it unfair to only earn two dollars for working an entire day.

Noah pushed the doors that led to outside open. Ronan got his beanie from out of the pocket of his jacket and put it on. The scarf that he'd wrapped loosely around his neck, he pulled tighter by pulling at both ends.

His clothes were an ugly mix of hand-me-downs and stuff he found from dumpster diving. While Noah's outfit still looked well put together. Old and worn-out. But you could see he'd come from a rich family. That he had known wealth. A small privilege in this cold. Ronan knew the bastard wore much less layers then him to keep warm.

Together, they walked side by side towards 300 Fox Way. Ronan only carried his old and worn backpack. All his belongings fit in there easily. Noah was carrying a big duffle bag and a suitcase in the other. So far, he seemed to be able to handle it. Ronan wondered how much longer he could talk it before he'd started switching hands. Then he'd have to drag the suitcase.

God, he hoped they wouldn't stand out too much.

Noah talked about everything that came to mind. Anyone else and Ronan would have told them to shut-up by now. He found it easy to listen to Noah. He has a pleasant voice.

"Halt." Someone shouted from behind them.

Ronan muttered a string of curses under his breath. Of course, they'd stood out- except when he turned his head, he saw the officer had stopped an elderly woman. Noah had slowed down to get a better look. They couldn't act suspicious. Not when he was this close to leaving this country. He wrapped his fingers around Noah's bicep and dragged him along.

"I can walk on my own." Noah said.

"Really." Ronan said, his voice death of any emotion.

"I just get distracted easily."

"Not a luxury we can afford."

"Soon we can." Noah whispered.

Even though Ronan was certain no one had heard, he still hushed him. God, living with Noah gave him too many heart attacks. He hadn't survived all those years on the street only to end up death because Noah didn't know what subtilty meant.

Ronan hated 300 Fox Way. He hated anything involving magic to be honest. Which he knew was ironic coming from him. He didn't believe in tarot readings. He hated how crowded and loud the place was. There were too many people inside that too small house.

Blue hadn't even put on her coat yet when they arrived. She looked terrible, her hair loose looked even worse than when she tried to put it together. "Hey, sorry." She gasped, leaving the door open for them. She immediately hurried back inside. "Something unexpected came up."

"Are we still gonna make it?" Noah asked, unable to hide how anxious he felt seeing Blue not ready.

"Yes, yes of course." She said, waving her hand, "It's just that our fourth companion ran into some trouble." She said, unable to hide her glee.

Noah's eyes almost popped out of their sockets, his mouth opened wide, "Adam is here?" he asked, his voice loud from excitement.

Blue nodded, "Yeah, I'm just helping him with some stuff. It won't be long anymore. I promise."

"H-how… wow. I can't believe-"Noah looked at Ronan. Then seemed to remember Ronan didn't know Adam at all so wouldn't be as excited as him. This didn't make his grin disappear, though. He followed Blue into the kitchen.

Then his grin disappeared.

"What-… Adam." Noah gasped.

Ronan walked in after him. His gaze immediately fell on the kitchen table, littered with herbs, a first aid kit, make-up powder, make-up brushes-… his gaze fell on a bruised-up hand, most of it hidden underneath white bandages. But purple bruises blossomed on the fingers. His gaze slowly traveled up, he could tell there were more bruises, just by the way Adam held himself together. Most of them were hidden underneath his clothes. Ronan stared at his face.

Adam was saying something to Noah while Blue probed at his face. He knew the bruises were only recent. But it seemed that in a short time, Blue had already managed to reduce most of the swelling. Half of Adam's face already had make-up on it. For Ronan could see no bruises or freckles. Also, he knew from last time, that Adam had dark eyebags underneath his eyes. These too were hidden. Blue was putting even more make-up on his other side of his face.

Ronan took a few steps forward to get a closer look. Adam's eyes immediately darted towards him. Following every move. He said nothing. His lips were slightly parted.

Blue did something wrong. He flinched, his hand immediately flew up to his left ear.

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

Noah looked like he'd been kicked in the guts.

When you got close enough and knew what to look for, Ronan could see the make-up. Besides that, Blue seemed to really know what she was doing.

"How did this happen?" Noah finally asked. "Your dad-"

"I ran into some officers." Adam said.

Blue tutted, she'd gotten some powder in his hair. Her hand went through his hair to remove it. Ronan saw him lean into the touch. His eyes fluttered shut. As if he no longer cared about what he just said.

Beaten up by some officers.

"And they let you go?" Ronan asked.

Adam's eyes were on him again. Ronan pushed back whatever it was he felt whenever Adam stared at him. The stones in his bag suddenly felt a lot heavier. "I told them the truth." Adam said.

"Which is?" he frowned, "Wait. Why did they even stop you? You're not a suspicious looking guy." As soon as he said it, he realized his mistake. From what little he'd seen of Adam, he could already tell that he was hiding something. He was quiet and distant. He kept himself in the background while Noah and Blue did all the talking. The moment when Ronan tried to address him, the others had brushed him off.

They all had secrets. Adam's just felt bigger than that of the others. Or was that because Ronan just liked to keep an eye on him. He didn't know.

"It doesn't matter." Adam replied, his voice soft and careful. He held Ronan's gaze, though. Without words, he told Ronan to drop it.

He shrugged, "So, you've decided to tag along after all?" Ronan asked, he leaned against one the counters and crossed his arms.

"Figured you three would be lost without me." Adam said.

Blue smirked. She'd finished putting the make-up and was slowly turning his face around to inspect her work. "You'll be wearing a scarf and a hat anyway. I doubt they'll spend a lot of time looking at your face."

"Their loss." Noah joked.

Adam rolled his eyes, a small smile on his face. It barely counted as a smile, just the corners of his lips turned upwards. But it was enough to make Noah beam like a proud toddler.

"For once, I'll agree." Blue said. She went through his hair with both hands. A gesture usually meant for one's lover. Adam seemed to absorb all of it. More than happy to be touched by Blue like this. There was a certain fondness in Blue's eyes. "I would have missed you too much if you didn't tag along." She said softly.

Ronan ignored the heavy rock in his stomach.

His gaze fell on Adam's hands, how he kept to himself.

Blue didn't lean in for a kiss, she let go of him and walked away. "Let me grab my coat." She said.

He could hear her talk to other family members, outside the kitchen.

"Can you walk?" Ronan asked.

Adam thought about it, "I can." He decided. "They didn't touch my legs."

"But?" Noah asked.

"But… something's wrong with my hearing." Adam admitted softly.

"How-…"

Adam stared at him. A silent conversation seemed to be going on between them. Noah's shoulders slumped, "Oh." He said.

"It's fine." Adam sighed, sounding not fine at all. "It might come back."

"Both ears?"

"No." Adam shook his head, he pointed at his left ear. His eyes unfocused.

Noah whispered something. Adam huffed, he leaned closer, a silent question for Noah to repeat himself. Noah looked a bit flustered, he talked a bit louder. It was meant only for Adam. "You got out."

Ronan felt uneasy again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whatttupppp bitches, it's me. Your friendly neighborhood trashcan.   
> If you spotted any spelling mistakes, that's not a surprise. Please let me know!

**Author's Note:**

> Don't like the first chapter. Let's look forward to how chapter two will work out I guess. Hahahaha.  
> I am also obsessed with the Broadway version of this movie. So expect both references from the movie as the musical. Ayyyyyyeeeeeeee.


End file.
